Fluid stop joint



May 7, 1935.

E. D. EBY

FLUID-STOP JOINT Filed Nov. 6, 1934.

Inventor:

e D 00 m E e A w 6 E. H

ramp sror JOINT Eugene D. Plttafleld, eral m'la. C mpany Mala..asalgnortoenacerporatian New Application November 0, m4, Serial m. 151,001

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The present invention relates to fluid stop joints for electric cables or the type involving high fluid pressures. Stated more speciflcally, it relates to that type of cableinstallation in s which the cable is enclosed in a suitable pipe andinwhichthespacewithinthepipenot occupied by the cable is fllled with an insulating fluid under high The purpose of the high pressure fluid is to improve the dielectric strength of the insulation on the conductor or conductors oi the cable. The utilization oi high pressure fluid introduces problems which are not present in cable installations operating with low fluids. The problem is especially acute in connection with the insulators in the stop joints which support the conductor or conductors and also prevent the a of fluid from one side of the Joint to the other. Porcelain is the material commonly used for insulators in stop joints on account 0! its high dielectric strength. It has the disadvantage oi not being well adapted to withstand bm'sting strains but on the other hand is capable oi withstanding high compression pressure. a

My invention has for its object the provision oi! an improved stop-joint for cables especially those intended for use in systems operating under high fluid pressure. More specifically, my invention is directed to an arrangement of parts wherein the material 01 the insulators exposed to high fluid pressures is subjected to compression pressures as distinguished from being subjected to bursting pressures. Also to an arrangement of parts in a stop-joint whereby the walls oi the insulators are subjected to difl'erential fluid pressures to the end that the eflective pressure thereon is reduced.

l'br a consideration of what I believe to be new and my invention, attention is directed to the accom ying description and the claims appended thereto.

In the accompanying drawing which is illustrative of my invention, Fig. 1 is a partial longitudinal section 01' a three-conductor fluid stop joint; Fig. 2 is a view 01' the joint in side elevation; Fig. 3 is a detail end view of an insulator; Fig.4isaiaceviewoi'oneottheplatesiorm-1 ing the central partition, and Fig. 5 is a detail view of one oi the cable clamps.

InPig.2,0andlindicatesteelorotherpipes in which the cable is located and which contain gas, oil, or other liquid insulation under high pressure. InthepresentcasethefluidinsulationoilisunderaottheorderofBOO pounds per square inch. This pressure may be due to the elevation of the remote end of the cable or it may be due to a pump or accumulator or both. The ends of the pipes have bolting flanges I which cooperate with similar flanges ontheheadsoithejointcasingitounitethe I is made in two principal parts, each having an outturned flange, said flanges being located on opposite sides oi a partition ll, Fig. 1. Each flange is reinforced by a metalring' ll andthe flangesareheldinflrm 10 contact with the partition by a series of clamping bolts. Gaskets are employed between the partsorthejointswheretoensure fluid tight joints. High pressure fluid from the pipe I enters the left hand side of the joint is casing and similar fluid from the pipe I enters the right hand side of the casing. These pres-'- sures may he the same or difl'erent depending upon the character 01' the installation. When the ends 01 the casing have semi-stops or dams which may be used in making the joint between the conductors to prevent free escape of fluid from the pipes. by-passes I! with suitable control valves II are or may be employed. When the valves are open, fluid from the pipes has tree access to the interior of the casing. The by-passes may be connected one with the other when for any reason it is desired to render the stop joint ineflective.

Referring more especially to Fig. l, the central partition is made in two parts for convenience in forming the necessary oil channels but it may be made of one piece if desired. The partition has as many through openings as there are conductors, in this case three.

It is necessary in a structure of this kind to permit current to flow i'rom conductor to conductor and to prevent the e oi fluid between pipes 0 and I. As each pair of conductors is similarly arranged, a description or one 4: pair will sufllce. Located on opposite sides of the partition are hollow porcelain or equivalent insulators i4 and II which are of tapered form with their large ends supported by the partition, there being suitable gaskets between their 45 ends and the partition. Each insulator has a metal sealing ring I which is secured to the partition by suitable means such as bolts. Between the wall of the bore of the sealing ring and the insulator is a filling of lead or other 50 jointing material II. The outer end of the insulator is well rounded and contains a central opening ll oi hexagonal or other shape, as shown in Pig. 8, the purpose of which is to prevent relative angular motion between the in- '5 sulator and the conductor passing therethrough when the clamping nuts are tightened.

Inside of the outer end of each insulator is a connector is having a body portion corresponding in shape to that of the opening in the insulator but making a free flt therewith. It is also provided with a flange 2! located inside of the insulator. Between the flange and the inner wall of the insulator is a gasket 2| to ensure a tight joint. The connector also has a screwthreaded portion 22 supporting a nut 23 and a rod-like portion 221: extending toward the partition l0. Surrounding the rod is a tube 24 making a sliding or telescopic flt therewith. Between the tube and nut are flexible connectors 25 which are soldered to both. The nut being adjustable permits of considerable axial adjustment but in some instances, it may be made an integral part of the connector. In the manufacture of porcelain it is very difllcult and in some cases impossible to maintain exact lengths and it is on that account that the telescopic arrangement of the tube 24 and rod 220 is provided. The outer end of the connector is also screw threaded to receive the clamping nut 26. Between the nut and porcelain is a gasket to ensure a fluid-tight seal. Because porcelain is relatively brittle, it is important that it be not subjected to strains tending to crack it either during assembly or after the cable is in operation. By using separate connectors individually secured one to each of the insulators, no strain is imposed on the porcelain when the clamping nuts are seated. This has the further advantage that any failure of the end surfaces of the insulator to be exactly parallel with the partition It will not interfere with the proper seating and sealing of the connectors. Also, individual securing of the connectors permits of a slight mis-aiignment of the insulators without danger of injury thereto. As previously stated, the rod 22a. and tube 24 make aslidlng connection and while they make a good fit, there is never the less a slight amount of play which will compensate for any small mis-alignment of the connector and insulators, such as might take place in the assembly. The'flexible connectors 25 insure complete electrical continuity. Because the connector assembly or member is of metal and passes through the metal partition it, it is necessary to insulate it. For this purpose, the tube 24 is utilized as a support for the insulating body as will appear later, and since the tube is supported at both ends, it serves to retain the body in a central position.

Each connector is united with the conductor 21 of each cable by means of a split sleeve 28. Fig. 5 having a tapered outer end. and a nut 29 which when screwed toward the center of the joint forces the wall of the sleeve into flrm electrical contact with the conductor. The joint may also be soldered if desired.

The opposite half of the entire connector assembly is the same as that described above and hence needs no further description.

Surrounding the connecting tube 24 is a wrapping of insulation 30 which may be made of tape applied layer by layer with overlapping joints. The insulation is thickest in the center where the electrical stress is the highest and gradually decreases in thickness toward the ends of the insulator.

The insulating body is supported at its ends by a thin wall metal shield 8| which also covers the flexible connectors Ii and rests on the flange 20. Thus the shield serves two functions, i. e., it prevents concentration of electrical stresses at irregularly shaped parts inside of it and also forms a support for the end portions of the insulation.

Surrounding the insulation is a space or chamber 32 which is filled with oil or other liquid or a gas under pressure. The fluid in this chamber acts on the insulation tending to compress it and also on the inner walls of the two insulators. This pressure may be a relatively low one. Since both hollow or chambered insulators are subjected to high external pres sures from the pipes 8 and 'I and to a lower internal pressure, it follows that the wall of each insulator is subjected to a differential pressure and that the more nearly these pressures balance, the less will be the effective load on the material of which the insulator is composed. It will be noted that the insulators are sub jected externally to fluid pressures from different sources, 1. e., pipes 6 and I which may be the same or different, depending upon operating conditions while internally both. are subjected to one and the same pressure from a single source of supply. The latter may conveniently be maintained by a suitable reservoir designed to maintain the desired pressure.

Fluid is supplied to the chambers of both insulators by the supply pipe 33 and channels 34 formed in the left hand part of the partition. The particular arrangement of these channels is not material so long as they serve to supply fluid from the pipe 33 to all of the chambers. A simple arrangement is shown in Fig. 4 as an example.

It is intended that the partition, insulators and connector members shall be shipped from the factory as a unit and the unit is so constructed that it need not be taken apart by the jointer at the place of installation, thereby saving much labor and expense besides assuring a better job.

Prior to making the joints, the halves of the casing s are slipped back over the pipes 6 and I. To enable this to be done, the heads of the casing which are secured to the pipes by flanged joints are separate from the cylindrical part of the casing and when assembled in final position they are united by welding or other means. The insulation on the conductor is reduced in thickness toward the conductor in a manner to form a series of steps. After the conductor end is bared of insulation and secured to the connector by the clamping nut, the parts are covered by a wrapped on body of tape insulation 35 which covers the parts from the end of the insulator l4 to the conductor insulation. This wrapping may advantageously correspond to that of standard practice. After this is done, cylindrical barriers I and 31 which were slipped over the conductor prior to making the joint are moved into place and held by suitable spacing blocks 28 of wood or other material. The clamping rings Ii of the insulators are provided with shields I! for controlling electrical stresses. These are made in two parts of thin metal and united by screws. The taped insulation on the conductor ends have similar shields 40.

It will be seen by reason of the arrangement of the insulatorsthat the high pressure fluid from the pipes 0 and I exerts compression on the walls thereof and that this is partly cornpensated by the internal fluid pressure supplied bythepipelt. Alsothatthemainpartsof thejointcanbemadeandassembledinthe factory where complete facilities are afforded andshippedasaunittotheplaceofinstallation. Also that the telescopic arrangement of the tube 24 and connector rods will compensate for any difference in length of one or both insulators from a given standard. By using flexible connectors 2|, good electrical conductivity is assured, and by using adjustable nuts on the parts 22 of the connectors suitable adjustments for any change in longitudinal dimensions may bemade.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A fluid stop Joint for .cables comprising a pair of cables arranged end to end, enclosures for the cables each fllled with a fluid under pressure, a Joint casing connected at. its ends to the enclosures, a transverse partition in the casing having an opening. a pair of chambered insulators mounted one on each side of the partition. each of said insulators being subjected to an external fluid pressure from once! the cable enclosures, a connector means extending through both insulators and also the opening in the partition for uniting the cables electrically, means securing the ends of the connector means to the insulators and forming fluid tight seats, and conduit means formed in the partition for introducing fluid under a positive pressure into the chambers of both insulators where, acting on the internal walls thereof, it serves to compensate in part for the pressures exerted by the fluids from the enclosures of the two cables.

2. A fluid stop joint for cables comprising a pair of cables arranged end to end, enclosures for the cables each fllled with a fluid under pressure, a joint casing connected at its ends to the enclosures, a transverse partition in the casing having an opening, a pair of chambered insulators mounted one on each side of the partition, each of said insulators being subjected to an external fluid pressure from one of the cable enclosures, a connector secured to and passing through the outer end of each insulator, means uniting each connector with a cable conductor, a means capable of longitudinal adiustment for uniting the connectors and extending through the partition, and conduit means for introducing fluid into the chamber deflned by the two insulators under positive pressure to compensate in part for the external pressure exerted on the insulators by the fluid from the two cables.

3. A fluid stop joint including as a. part thereof a partition having an opening, a pair of hollow insulators permanently secured one to each side of the partition and extending outwardly therefrom, a connector extending through the outer end of each insulator and clamped thereto, means uniting the connectors electrically which includes an element that extends through the opening in the partition, 9. body of insulation surrounding the element and in spaced relation to the wall of the opening in the partition and the inner walls 01' the insulator, said body and the inner walls of the insulators deflning a chamber which is common to both insulators, and a means in the partition for introducing fluid into the chamber.

4. A fluid stop Joint including as a part thereof a partition having an opening. a pair of hollow insulators permanently secured ms to each side of the partition and extending outwardly therefrom, a connector extending through the outer end of each insulator and clamped thereto, said connector having a screw threaded outer end and a rod-like inner end, a tube connecting the rod-like ends of the connector and in telescopic relation with one of said ends. a body of insulation surrounding the tube and in spaced relation to the wall of the opening in the partition and those of the insulators, and a channel in the partition for introducing fluid into the space between the walls of the insulators, partition and body of insulation.

5. A fluid stop Joint including as a part thereof a partition having angularly displaced openings, a pair of hollow insulators s each of the openings and secured to opposite sides of the partition, a connector member extending through each pair of insulators and secured thereto at its ends, a body of insulation for a portion of the length of each member which is in spaced relation to the partition and inner walls of the insulators and deflning therewith a chamber common to each pair of insulators, and conduit means in the partition through which fluid is supplied to all of said chambers.

6. A fluid stop joint including as a unit thereof a partition having an opening, a pair of hollow insulators aligned with the opening and secured to opposite sides of the partition, a connector mounted in and extending through each insulator, an element connecting the opposed ends of the connector which includes a slip joint and flexible connectors, a shield engaging the element and covering the flexible connectors, a body of insulation on the element and supported at its ends by the shield, said body being in spaced relation to the wall of the opening and those of both insulators to form a chamber, and a conduit for fllling the chamber with fluid.

7. A fluid stop Joint including as a unit thereof a metal partition having an opening, a pair of chambered insulators aligned with the opening and secured to opposite sides of the partition, said chambers being in free communication, connectors individually secured to the outer ends of the insulators, a means electrically uniting the connectors and compensating for nus-alignment thereof, said means including a tube extending through the partition, shields supported by the tube and parts of the connectors, a body of insulation supported by the tube and the shields, and means for introducing fluid into the chambers of the insulators and submerging the body of insulation.

8. A fluid stop joint unit comprising a partition having an opening, a pair of hollow insulators aligned with the opening and secured to opposite sides of the partition, a connector mounted in and extending through each insulator, a tube mounted at its ends on the opposed ends of the connectors and in sliding engagement with oneof them, said tube extending through the opening in the partition, shields extending between the tube and the connectors,

one of said shields being in sliding eng ement with one of the connectors, and a wrapping of insulation for the central portion of the tube which is supported at its ends by the shields.

EUGENE D. m. 

